LIVERMORE FALLS – A proposed $2.7 million town budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year will go to voters in a referendum Tuesday.

The polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Office. Besides the municipal budget, there will be elections for town and school races and a proposed $9.4 million SAD 36 school budget validation vote.

The proposed town budget is $354,000 (about 15 percent) more than the current year’s budget. That does not factor in revenues that may offset the increase. Those figures were still unknown, Town Manager James Chaousis said Thursday.

Most of the increase comes from proposals to buy two new trucks to replace three aging trucks, and to spend $120,000 for paving projects and $50,000 for capital improvements.

Last year, $152,836 was used from surplus to cover items in the budget, including paving. There is no money from surplus factored into the budget this year.

The biggest-ticket item in the spending plan is the purchase of the two new trucks. Chaousis said prices for the trucks came in at about $260,000. That does not factor in the amount the town would get from selling the old vehicles, a 1989 GM wheeler with high mileage, a 1991 model with 73,000 miles on it and a 1989 4-by-4 truck.

The Highway Department wants to get a new truck for plowing and hauling snow, winter sand and gravel. It also wants to replace the existing 4-by-4 truck with a slightly smaller 4-by-4 plow truck that could be used year-round.

To pay for them, selectmen plan to raise $100,000 through taxation, use $50,000 the department put away last year for a new truck and carry over a balance of about $40,000 in the department’s budget.

There is also a $70,000 debt service article on the town meeting warrant to help pay for the trucks. The town would have to use that money but wouldn’t have to raise any more for the trucks next year, Chaousis said.

The town’s valuation increased to $179.9 million this year from $177 million, he said. That means that in order to raise the tax rate $1 per $1,000 of valuation, it would take about $179,900 of spending. The tax rate is currently $18.80 per $1,000 of valuation.

Selectmen have said they hoped voters would approve the purchases of the trucks to take advantage of what they believe will be the last year of having Wausau Paper mill’s tax revenue. The mill ceased operations on May 31.

Money is also factored into the budget for union negotiations and possible raises for employees. Selectmen have asked for a $200 a year raise, which would bring their annual pay to $2,100 each.

Candidates

Incumbent Selectman Louise Chabot is uncontested for a three-year term on the Livermore Falls Board of Selectmen. Newcomer Alphonso Barker is running uncontested for a two-year term. No one took out papers for a vacant one-year selectman term.

If people write in names on the ballots, they need to make sure they write the names and check the boxes beside them.